Slicing machine



Jan. 4,1944. R. E. SLAYTON 2,333,139

SLICING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1942 2 SheetsSheet l I L INVENTOR WWW? Jan. 4, 1944.

R E. SLAYTON SLICING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOB' magma ment. U

are preferably mounted in spaced relation in a Patented Jan. 4, 1944 SLICING MACHINE Ralph. E. Slayton, Larchmont,.N. Y.; Adele Mo Terney, executrix of said Ralph E. Slayton, de-

ceased Application April 4, 1942, Serial No. 437,721

9 Claims.

This invention relates to slicing machines and has more particular reference to the type of slicing machine in which an adjustable gauge plate regulates the thickness of the slices.

. One of'the objects of the invention is to provide a slicing machine in which the advantages of a horizontal knife and gauge plate can be utilized while at the same time obtaining the advantages of feeding the object relatively to the cutting edge by an open sided object holder from which the object to be sliced can be easily removed and a different type or object replaced.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Comprehensively stated, one aspect of the invention comprises an object holder open at one side for gravity feeding the object relatively to the cutting edge solely by its own weight with means acting on the lower end of the object to prevent the object from sliding out of the holder and leaving one side of the object holder open so that the object may be placed in and moved from the holder with ease.

More specifically stated, the invention comprehends a horizontally disposed knife and an adjustable gauge member having a plurality of depressable object carrying members extending parallel to the line of travel, the weight of the object depressing some of the movable members and leaving one or more standing, one of the undepressed members affording an abutment for guidingthe lower end of the object during the back and forth'movement and preventing it from sliding away from the holder with a reciprocable V-shaped open sided object holder inclined to a vertical plane passing through the plane of the knife. The usual stationary center plate around which the disc knife rotates may be and preferably is similarly provided with a plurality of such depressable members to retain the object in the holder when the latter and its object is at or beyond the end of its normal cutting stroke move- The depressable object carrying members gauge frame. 7

In the drawings accompanying this specification one embodiment of the invention is illustrated although it is to be understood that such embodiment is merely for the purpose of affording a clear understanding of the underlying principles of the invention so that those skilled in the art may readily understand it without, however,

, limiting the invention to the specific details shown therein.

In said drawings: Fig. 1 is a top plan view; Fig. 2' is a section of Fig. 1 on the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1 on the line 3-3, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the gauge member.

Continuing now by way of a more detailed description, a conventional cutting member or rotary ring knife A may be and preferably is driven by a suitable motor B through gears C and C. The gear C' is keyed to a sleeve ID for driving the dished knife supporting member A on the periphery of which is mounted the an nular knife A. An upstanding center plate supporting shaft is has its lower end now rotatably fixed in a bracket I4 secured to the base G in any convenient manner to form a stationary shaft for supporting the rotatable knife. driving sleeve, [0. A stationary center plate It which occupies the dished portion of the ring knife supporting element A is fixed to the upper end of shaft l3 as is well understood. The stationary center plate l6 may be providedwith a plurality of parallel depressable guide slats H mounted so as to be individually depressable in convenient guide slots or recesses and each is normally held in elevated position by springs J. The purpose of these depressable guide slats will be more fully described hereinafter. Each of these slats preferably has a depending guide stop guided in a suitable recess 2i] formed in the stationary center plate to limit its downward movement. In order to regulate the thickness of the slices a gauge member K is arran ed at one side of the knife so that its plane is adjustable with respect to the plane of the knife as is well understood in thea'rt. In order to effect the relative adjustment of the gauge member with respect to the knife and center plate, any suitable arrangement is used, for instance, a plurality of rotatable cams J mounted on a rotatable shaft J and controlled by a knurled knob and index J This gauge member adjusting mechanism is supported on the base in any convenient manner since it is merely illustrative of various arrangements for raising and lowering the gauge member with respect to the plane of the knife. The gauge member K comprises a frame K having a plurality of oppositely disposed slat guide openings in its opposite ends to receive and guide object supporting slats or members L each of which have depending guide lugs L adapted to engage the guide openings in the frame which also forms an abutment for the rotatable cams J The guide slats L are preferably located in parallel relation and have their longitudinal axes parallel to the direction in which theobject slides across thegauge member during the cutting operation. A reciprocating V shaped object holder R is mounted on suitable guide rods R so that the holder can be moved back and forth past the knife edge, for instance, by handle S. The holder is inclined from the normal or vertical to the plane of the knife and gauge plate and is open at one side so that the object S to be sliced may be easily placed in the holder and removed therefrom without the necessity of clamping as is well understood in the art. This holder has the advantages of the usual gravity feed holder but when used with a horizontally disposed knife and gauge plate the lower end of the object would slide away from the holder. To this end and to avoid closing off this open side the holder is arranged above the parallel guide slats L so that when the object S is placed in the holder and its weight rests on some of the depressable slats the nearest undepressed slat to the object affords an abutment for guiding the lower end of the object and prevents the lower end from sliding away from the holder. The guide slats H of the stationary center plate are aligned with each of the guide slats L so that as the object holder is moved toward the end of its stroke the slats remaining undepressed of the group mounted on the stationary center piate will be aligned with the undepressed slats L to form a substantially continuous guide throughout the stroke of the holder.

The springs. J merely serve to maintain the slats in raised position and are easily depressed. The downward movement of the slats is limited by the guide iugs striking the bottom of the lug guide recess by the weight of the object.

When I speak of one in my claim I mean to include one or more.

It is claimed:

1. In a slicing machine the improvement in a gauge plate for regulating the thickness of slices comprising a plurality of parallel rows of object abutting members each depressible by gravity feed of the material to be sliced both on the slicing stroke and the non-slicing stroke of said machine and normally projecting beyond the slice gauging face of the gauge plate, said rows extending essentially parallel to the direction of feed of such material and being shaped, positioned and arranged to leave at least one such row with its abutting members undepressed to form a guiding abutment for such material when so fed.

2. In a slicing machine the improvement in gauge plate for regulating the thickness of slices comprising a plurality of guides arranged essentially parallel to the direction of feed of the material to be sliced, and means for guiding such material along the gauge plate, said means including a plurality of object abutting strips depressible by gravity feed of such material and mounted in said guides to normally project beyond the slice gauging face of the gauge plate, said strips being positioned to leave at least one thereof undepressed to form an abutment for such material when so fed.

3. In a slicing machine the improvement in gauge plate in accordance with claim 2 in which said abutting strips are depressible against the force of spring means.

4. In a slicing machine of the gravity feed, horizontal knife and gauge plate type the improvement in gauge plate for regulating the thickness of slices comprising a gauge plate having a plurality of strip guides arranged essentially parallel to the direction of feed of the material to be sliced, means for guiding such material along said gauge plate including a plurality of object abutting strips depressible by gravity feed of such material and mounted in said guides to normally project beyond the slice gauging face of said gauge plate, said strips being positioned to leave at least one thereof undepressed to form an abutment for such material when so fed, a gravity feed holder for such material having an open side facing said strips, and means for moving said holder back and forth over said gauge plate and into and out of cutting position with such knife.

5. In a slicing machine the improvement in accordance with claim 4 in which said abutting strips are depressible against spring force and in which said gravity feed holder is positioned transversely inclined with respect to the direction of feed of the material to be sliced.

6. In a slicing machine the improvement in accordance with claim a in which said abutting strips are depressible against spring force and in which said strips are arranged and positioned to leave at least two thereof undepressed, at least one in either side of said material to form guiding abutments therefor when so fed.

'7. In a sliding machine of the gravity feed, horizontal knife and gauge plate type the improvement comprising a stationary guide member, a horizontally disposed annular knife rotatably surrounding said guide member, a gauge plate adjacent the cutting edge of said knife, a

plurality of first strip guides on said guide member, a plurality of second strip guides on said gauge plate, said first and second strip guides being arranged essentially parallel to the direction of feed of the material to be sliced, means for guiding such material along said gauge plate and said guide member including a plurality of object abutting strips depressible against spring force by gravity feed of such material and mounted in said first and second guides to each normally project beyond the upper rim of the guide, said strips on said guide member and said gauge plate being positioned to leave on each at least one such strip undepressed to form an abutment for such material when so fed, a gravity feed holder for such material having an open side facing said strips, and means for moving said holder back and forth over said gauge plate and said guide member and into and out of cutting position with said knife.

8. In a slicing machine the improvement in accordance with claim 7 in which said first and second strip guides and said strips mounted therein are in substantially end to end alignment with each other.

9. In a slicing machine the improvement in accordance with claim. 7 in which said first and second strip guides and said strips mounted therein are in substantially end to end alignment with each other and in which said gravity feed holder is positioned transversely inclined with respect to the direction of feed of the material to be sliced.

RALPH E. SLAYTON. 

